Kanye West Takes Insurers To Court Over Tour Cancellation Claims

Kanye West has taken several insurance companies to court, accusing them of failing to pay out on almost $10 million in claims following the abrupt cancellation of the remainder of his tour in 2016.

According to the New York Times, Kanye West’s touring company, Very Good Touring, filed the lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday, claiming the insurers had delayed a decision on payment in an attempt to file the claim.

West canceled his “Saint Pablo” in November following a series of increasingly erratic and abbreviated performances and sought treatment in a Los Angeles hospital for what West’s team described as a “debilitating medical condition.”

His lawsuit also alleges that insurance companies leaked information to the press in an effort to undercut West’s claims, including the suggestion that the performer’s use of marijuana may have contributed to his medical condition, the Times said.

Payments on insurance coverage likely hinge on West’s health. The policy for the tour covered “costs and expenses and commitments” and would likely cover cancellations caused by legitimate medical conditions. According to the suit, insurers requested that West undergo an independent medical examination, and sought to negotiate on the claim amount, the Times reported.

“The stalling is emblematic of a broader modus operandi of the insurers of never-ending postclaim underwriting, where the insurers hunt for some contrived excuse not to pay,” lawyers representing Very Good Touring and Mr. West wrote in court filings related to the suit.

A spokeswoman for Lloyd’s of London declined to comment, to the Times, saying the company does not discuss litigation.